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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22711084">Children Will Always Love Their Parents</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFairMaidenofFandom/pseuds/My%20Old%20Works'>My Old Works (TheFairMaidenofFandom)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Parents Jack and Janet Drake, Child Neglect, Gen, Memories, Mind Manipulation, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Has a Bad Time, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake-centric, no beta we die like jason</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:47:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22711084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFairMaidenofFandom/pseuds/My%20Old%20Works</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim gets psychically attacked, letting his teammates see a glimpse of a dream of his.</p><p>And his identity.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Drake &amp; Janet Drake &amp; Tim Drake, Tim Drake &amp; Everyone, minor Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>447</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! So, I've only watched YJ up to about halfway through season two, so if my info is incorrect, please lemme know.</p><p>I actually don't hate Jack and Janet. I just think when it came to Tim, they made a lot of REALLY stupid choices.</p><p>I'm not sure how long I'll make this, or how often I'll update, so..</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tim woke up to his mother calling his name from downstairs. He groaned and put a pillow over his head.</p><p>“Tim! Are you up?” He heard her walking up the stairs to his attic room. He leapt up, falling over with an audible thump. If she saw him still laying down, she’d make him do the dishes from breakfast.</p><p>He sat up in bed, scrambling to make it look like he’d been getting dressed. “Yeah! I’m getting dressed! Be down in a sec!”</p><p>As he practically ran down the stairs to get to the kitchen, he heard his father laughing at him from his spot at the round table. “Jeez Bud, you don’t gotta run down the stairs. I’m pretty sure the dishes are better than a concussion.”</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, concussions suck.</em>
</p><p>Hold on, what? Tim had never had a concussion in his life, so how did he know that?</p><p>Maybe he had done research? Yeah, that was it. Research.</p><p>Janet smiled at him as she set the three plates down, telling him to grab the juice off the counter.</p><p>“So Tim, do you remember what we’re doing today?”</p><p>He grinned at his parents. “Yeah! I’m getting a new camera, and then we’re going to dinner with the Graysons.”</p><p>“Good. Honestly Tim, I think you should try to get your pictures in a gallery, they’re really good. I can see it now, Tim Drake, photographer extraordinaire.”</p><p>He blushed and ducked his head, eating another bite of eggs. “It’s just a hobby, Dad.”</p><p>They talked and laughed their way through the early meal, just content in each others’ presence.</p><p>Jack checked his watch. “Alright, we need to head out. Grab your stuff, and we’ll be in the car, alright Kiddo?”</p><p>“Got it!” As he grabbed his phone and wallet, Tim felt like he was forgetting something. He looked around his room, but couldn’t pinpoint what he was missing. He shrugged and ran down to the car.</p><p>As he got in, Jack started the car. Janet smiled at him warmly, “So Tim, your birthday is coming up.”</p><p>“Mhmm.”</p><p>“Do you want to have a party? You can invite your girlfriend, and your other friends. I still can’t believe you’re old enough to have a girlfriend!”</p><p>Tim flushed bright red as he spluttered. “Mom!” He groaned and sunk into his seat.</p><p>His parents both laughed happily. "It's so easy to embarrass you."</p><p>"That doesn't mean you should make it a hobby," he grumbled.</p><p>"Oh hush! Anyway, did you want the party? Because you only have a month left until your birthday."</p><p>"Yeah, I think it'll be fun. I can invite Jaime, Bart, Cassie, Steph, Ives, and maybe the rest of the debate team too? Maybe I can invite Dick too. Do you think Bruce would come?"</p><p>"Probably, Sweetheart. I can invite Mary and John tonight."</p><p>"Oh! Maybe since I'm gonna be fifteen soon, Dick can finally show me how to do their Quadruple Somersault!" He'd been in gymnastics class for around two years, and he was pretty good.</p><p>"Maybe."</p><p>They pulled up into the parking lot of Close Up Cameras.</p><p>Tim almost faceplanted into the cement in his hurry to get inside, making Jack chuckle.</p><p>Within minutes, they had found the camera. Jack turned to his son. "Do you need any more film?"</p><p>"No, I bought some last week."</p><p>Janet rolled her eyes. "Why do we even give you allowance anymore? We already told you we'll pay for all of your photography things, all you have to do is ask."</p><p>"I don't spend <em>all</em> of it in here. Just most of it." Tim was about to say something else, when his world became fuzzy.</p><p>He swayed on his feet. "Mom? Dad? I don't feel so good.." He clutched his head as Jack steadied him.</p><p>He could faintly hear his parents voices, but they sounded so far away, almost like he was underwater.</p><p>He reached out for them, but nothing helped. It was as if he was.. drifting away, for lack of a better term.</p><p>As his vision darkened, he yelled for his mother one last time. "Mom!"</p><p>Tim bolted up from the bed, and seeing his sort-of brother sitting at the foot of his bed, he squinted.</p><p>"Wha's going on?"</p><p>Nightwing looked guilty. "Tim, Psimon did something to your head. Do you remember?"</p><p>Going through his memories, he nodded.</p><p><em>Of course</em> he had been hallucinating. His mom was dead, and his dad was in a coma.</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, I remember." And he did. The Team had come across Psimon during an op. He managed to psychically knock everyone out, but for some reason, he had chosen to only mess with Tim's head. The last thing he'd seen before waking up in the dream was Cassie calling out to him.</p><p>Just then Gar ran in. "Robin, you're awake! That's awesome!" He poked his head out into the hallway, calling, "Guys! He's up!"</p><p>Within moments, the room was almost full.</p><p>M'gann came forward first. "Robin, I want to apologise for not being able to help you. I'm the Team's telepath, and I should've been there."</p><p>He waved off her apology. "It's fine M'gann. Not your fault you were on another squad."</p><p>Cassie came forward, hugging him gently. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"I'm fine."</p><p>At the entire roomful of skeptical looks, he jumped off the bed, to the protest of most of them, and gestured to himself. "See? I'm fine. Really."</p><p>Nightwing put a hand on his arm. "Ti-Robin, can I talk to you? Outside?"</p><p>He shrugged, "Sure."</p><p>For some reason, as he took a look at all the people that had been worried about him, they all seemed kind of.. guilty?</p><p>The lenses of his mask narrowed. "Wait. What's going on?"</p><p>"Nothing!" Gar's quick response made Tim even more suspicious.</p><p>"All of this is stupid. Just tell him what happened, or I will." Conner crossed his arms.</p><p>Nightwing sighed, "Fine." He tried to put it gently. "Robin, they saw it. All of it." He pulled the younger boy into a hug.</p><p>As the group watched, Tim's back stiffened, and his movements faltered. "What do you mean?"</p><p>M'gann put a hand on his shoulder. "This was all my fault."</p><p>He turned his head back to Nightwing. "What happened?"</p><p>Dick sighed. "We don't exactly know. Cassie woke up right after Psimon got into a helicopter. Everyone else was knocked out except you. Cassie?"</p><p>She rubbed at her arm nervously. "When I woke up, you were on your knees, and it looked like you were trying to pull out your hair, and you were whimpering a little, so we thought he had done something."</p><p>M'gann took over the story from there. "Luckily, you had hit your emergency button before he hit you, so we were able to find you guys. But when we got you onto the Bioship, you passed out. We put you into the Medbay, and then you started talking to yourself."</p><p>"I went into your head to try and help you, I promise." He nodded slowly, gesturing for her to go on. "I don't know exactly what happened, but as soon as I went in, I think the Mindlink activated? I tried to end it, but it was stuck, and well, the whole Team saw everything you saw.."</p><p>"Is Batman's identity compromised?"</p><p>Nightwing shook his head, making Tim's entire frame relax.</p><p>He reached up to his face, finally pulling off his mask.</p><p>The Team openly gaped at him, with it being the first time they'd seen him maskless. He pressed his domino mask into Dick's hand, looking regretful. “Make <em>sure</em> he finds a new Robin. A good one.”</p><p>Everyone looked bewildered.</p><p>“Wait, what?”</p><p>Tim turned around. “If my identity is compromised, then I can’t be Robin. So I’m giving Nightwing my mask.” He said it as if it was obvious.</p><p>Dick struggled to find the words. “Tim, no.” The maskless Robin flinched at the blatant usage of his name. “You’re still Robin.”</p><p>“But, my identity-”</p><p>“-is safe with our teammates.” Gently, he pressed the mask back into Tim’s hand.</p><p>Tim’s eyes watered, and he near-tackled Dick in a hug. He pressed his face into Dick's chest.</p><p>After a few moments, Conner cleared his throat, making Tim turn back to the Team sheepishly. He'd almost forgotten they were there. "So you all know now?"</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“It’s kinda crazy.”</p><p>“Uh-huh.”</p><p>Bart grinned. “Your parents are awesome! Also, how come we never knew you were a photographer?”</p><p>Tim pressed his mouth into a straight line. “That wasn’t real.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“You didn’t look me up?”</p><p>Jaime looked offended. “Of course not, ese, that would be weird.”</p><p>“Well, you can if you want to. Anyway, that whole thing was totally a fever dream. Literally none of it was real.” He snorted just thinking about the simple two-story house from the suburbs.</p><p>“What about your parents?”</p><p>Tim winced. “That was <em>definitely</em> fake.” Dick wrapped him in another hug, tighter this time around.</p><p>Gar looked up from M’gann’s phone, which he had been using to look up Tim Drake. He climbed up his shoulders, giving Tim a quick hug in his monkey form. “I’m sorry about your parents Robi-Tim.”</p><p>Tim tried to play it off. “It’s fine. Dad’s technically still alive.” He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant</p><p>“What happened to your family?”</p><p>“It’s really not that big of a deal. A couple of months ago, there was a kidnapping attempt. Mom died, and Dad went into a coma.</p><p>“Oh, Robin!” Cassie and M’gann both hugged him at the same time, dragging in Conner and La’gaan respectively.</p><p>“Group hug! Everyone get in here!” Dick grinned.</p><p>Tim squirmed, blushing lightly under all of the attention. “Dad isn’t even dead, and it's been a <em>year</em>! I'm good now.”</p><p>"Grief doesn't have a timeline."</p><p>“That was <em>profound</em>."</p><p>“Thanks! I read it in a fortune cookie.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tim answers the Team's questions.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am having so much fun with this story, but I honestly have no clue where to take it from here.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the hug dispersed, Tim fidgeted. “So now what?”</p><p>Raquel grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the common room. “You Bats know everything about us, but we still pretty much know nothing about you.” Her voice took on a teasing lilt. “So, who’s <em>Steph</em>?”</p><p>He groaned. “A <em>friend</em>.”</p><p>“Mhm. How’d you meet?”</p><p>“She hit me with a brick.” He deadpanned, making the Team laugh.</p><p>Cassie became curious. “When’s your real birthday?”</p><p>“July 19th.”</p><p>“We were the debate team, right?”</p><p>He hummed, grabbing a cookie as M’gann passed around a plate.</p><p>“So who’s Dick? And Bruce? Are they some of your civilian friends?” He coughed, almost choking on the cookie.</p><p>“Bruce Wayne. And Dick Grayson. That’s who I’m staying with right now.”</p><p>“Whoa. You’re staying with Bruce Wayne?” Gar’s eyes went wide.</p><p>Tim shrugged. “He’s my neighbor.”</p><p>Even Conner looked a bit surprised. “Isn’t he like, the richest person in the world?”</p><p>“Second richest. Luthor has the most.”</p><p>“Whoa, ese. You're his <em>neighbor</em>?"</p><p>"I guess. It doesn't really feel like it though, considering how far it is between the Manors."</p><p>"Isn't a Manor one of those really big houses?"</p><p>"Sort of."</p><p>"Who's Ives?"</p><p>"He's a friend from boarding school."</p><p>"Are you really a photographer?"</p><p>"Nope. I'm not that good at it."</p><p>Dick chuckled. "He's lying. His photos are awesome."</p><p>Tim rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd say that."</p><p>"They are!"</p><p>"Mhm, and Batman smiles a lot."</p><p>"I can and will zeta to the Cave to get them."</p><p>Tim looked smug. "No, you won't."</p><p>Dick raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "And why won't I? Agent A has copies of the best ones."</p><p>"I know where your cereal stashes are. All of them."</p><p>Dick looked semi-horrified. "All of them?"</p><p>"Even the ones in your locker. And A will help me."</p><p>"Timmy, Baby Bird, please."</p><p>Bart cut in. "Wait, if you're an only child, then how are you two related? I thought you two were brothers!"</p><p>"We're not. I'm an only child."</p><p>"So you're not Batman's son?"</p><p>"I'm not, no. Nightwing is."</p><p>"That's so weird!"</p><p>"Then how did you become Robin?"</p><p>Tim swallowed his bite of cookie. "I stalked Batman and Robin, figured out Nightwing's identity, and then Batman's, and I basically blackmailed him into making me Robin."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You're telling it wrong. It's your origin story, you have to tell it better!"</p><p>"It's not an origin story, you dork."</p><p>"<em>Anyway,</em> he figured out our identities when he was <em>nine</em>, and decided it would be a smart idea to go out into <em>Gotham City</em> at night, as a <em>child</em>, and take photos of me and B on patrol. I don't even know how we never noticed, to be honest. When the second Robin.. died, B got more violent, started really beating the snot out of small-time criminals. He was.. thirteen, I think?" </p><p>"So Tim here, realizes that Batman needs a Robin to balance him out. So he takes <em>the bus</em> to Blüdhaven to find me, and asks me to be B's Robin again. Of course, I said no, since I was really mad at Batman around then, and there was no way that'd go well. So one day, me and B got captured by Two-Face and Scarecrow, and we saw this tiny kid in an old Robin costume come in and save us. Turns out Agent A let him into the Cave and gave him the suit."</p><p>The newer team members were looking at Tim with something like awe. "You saved Batman?"</p><p>His shoulders were practically up to his ears, and his face was red. "Not really. He's just exaggerating. I was more of a distraction while they escaped."</p><p>"Still!"</p><p>"Anyway, now you all know how I became Robin."</p><p>"There's more!"</p><p>"No there isn't." Dick opened his mouth to argue, but Tim cut him off, "Your cereal."</p><p>Nightwing's mouth snapped shut.</p><p>Bart asked another question, "Did you really have to the dishes if you weren't dressed in the morning? That doesn't seem so bad."</p><p>"Nope. It might've been, if they were ever around, and Mrs. Mac wasn't there."</p><p>"Who's that?"</p><p>"Our old housekeeper."</p><p>"You had a housekeeper?"</p><p>"Yep. Actually, D-Nightwing, can you remind me to call her? I kinda miss her. She was definitely my favorite person my parents ever hired."</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"What did she do that was so great?"</p><p>"She was awesome. She came to some of my school stuff, y'know, like open houses and presentations and all that, and she taught me how to cook a few things. One time, she even had a movie marathon with me for my birthday." He smiled happily.</p><p>Everyone, even Nightwing seemed slightly disturbed.</p><p>Cassie voiced what everyone was thinking. "What about your parents?"</p><p>He waved his hand. "They were busy most of the time, and Mrs. Mac made sure I had food and stuff, so that was good. They weren't always busy, just most of the time. Once, Mom and Dad came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we all ate dinner together both times. And, they brought me back a present for Christmas!"</p><p>Nightwing looked appalled, as did most of them.</p><p>Conner spoke first. "Is that normal? I wouldn't really know." He looked to Nightwing, who shook his head.</p><p>Tim scoffed. "Of course it's normal."</p><p>Cassie looked heartbroken for her friend. "It's really not. Parents are supposed to spend time with their kids."</p><p>"Cassie, my parents were busy people. They couldn't interrupt their trips for <em>me.</em> Why should they?" He seemed genuinely confused.</p><p>Nightwing hugged him again, being joined by Gar. "Tim, do you remember my parents?"</p><p>"You know I do."</p><p>"We spent all of our time together. We trained together, ate every meal together, <em>and</em> we spent holidays together. That's how parents are supposed to be."</p><p>Tim looked bewildered. "Maybe it's different in America? Because <em>everyone</em> knows children are supposed to be seen, not heard."</p><p>“Timmy..”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“That’s not okay.”</p><p>“Yes, it is,” Tim insisted. “Anyway, what else do you guys wanna know?”</p><p>Dick wanted to ask more about his parents, but judging by the look on Tim’s face, it wouldn’t get him anywhere.</p><p>La’gaan spoke up, trying to smother a grin. “Who’s your favorite hero?”</p><p>Instantly, Tim responded. “The second Robin. Without question.”</p><p>“Wait, really? I’m hurt. What about me?”</p><p>“You’re second. I figured you out first, but he was the Robin I actually followed, so yeah.”</p><p>“What about B?”</p><p>“Third. Wait, actually Agent A is first, making you third, and B fourth.”</p><p>Nightwing nodded sagely. “A is scarier than B. Batman's a softie, but A is really the one in charge. If he can keep B in line, he can do anything.”</p><p>La'gann argued, “No one can keep Batman in line. He’s Batman!”</p><p>Tim and Nightwing shared identical grins. “Keep telling yourself that.”</p><p>The rest of the team looked in awe. “Can we meet him?”</p><p>Tim looked to Nightwing. “Is that even possible?”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>Just then, Nightwing’s comm crackled to life. “What’s up?”</p><p>“Master Nightwing, if you would be so kind as to inform Batman that his communication device is turned off, that would be lovely. If you must, have Miss Prince and Mister Kent bring him back to the Cave. He has not slept in far too long, and it is high time that he does so.”</p><p>Dick grinned. “You got it A.”</p><p>Conner, who had been listening in with his enhanced hearing, cocked his head. “So he’s like the Bat’s nanny?”</p><p>Over the comms, Alfred responded. “I am well aware that you can hear me, young Mister Kent. Batman is my ward, not my charge. I am no <em>nanny</em>. Good day.”</p><p>Conner shook his head in disbelief. “So Agent A is Batman’s dad?”</p><p>“Pretty much.” “Yeah.”</p><p>“Whoa.”</p><p>“Agent A is the best, but I’ll be right back guys, I just gotta tell B that A wants him back at the Cave.” He walked over to the zeta tubes, and with a wave, teleported to the Watchtower.</p><p>As soon as his form disappeared, Tim turned to the gathered group. "Alright, he's gone. You guys can do whatever you want."</p><p>That caused a lot of furrowed brows. "What d'ya mean?"</p><p>Tim snorted. "I know you guys don't actually care when my birthday is, or where I live. You have better stuff to do."</p><p>M'gann put a hand on his shoulder. "We weren't just messing with you, Tim. We actually want to know about you."</p><p>"Mhmm. If you're just curious, you can Google me for most of that stuff, but I get it if you're not. I should go train anyways." He hopped off the kitchen stool and headed toward the training room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tim gets a surprise birthday party.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Weeks passed amiably. It was the beginning of July, and the Team was planning a surprise party for Tim, with the help of Nightwing.</p><p>Tim knew they were hiding something, but he figured that Nightwing would tell him if it was dangerous, so he ignored it.</p><p>His bond with the Team had grown significantly stronger. He had become close with Cassie and Bart, and was hanging around the rest of the Team more in general.</p><p>One night, he fell asleep in his room at the Mountain.</p><p>He woke up, but wasn't fully awake.</p><p>Only one thought ran through his head.</p><p>
  <em>Coffee.</em>
</p><p>He felt a few eyes on him as he stumbled to the kitchen, but he didn't care. He'd been up for <em>three days</em> searching for Scarecrow. He was <em>beat</em>.</p><p>He clumsily pushed buttons on the machine until he saw his one true love begin to brew.</p><p>The second it was done, he picked up the coffee pot, and promptly guzzled down the entire thing.</p><p>He faintly registered someone trying to stop him, but he couldn't let that happen. Tim thought he might've nerve-striked them, but he wasn't sure. He brewed another pot, this time pouring a mug. As he cradled it in his hands, he slowly reopened his eyes.</p><p>Only to see Cassie, Jaime, and Bart all staring at him with something like horror. Bart was holding his arm as if it was dislocated or paralyzed, but the others simply stared at him.</p><p>After a few moments of complete silence, he began to grow uncomfortable. "Uh, guys? Why are you looking at me like that?"</p><p>"Dude. You literally just drank a burning hot, full pot of coffee! And you nerve-striked Bart!"</p><p>"Oh. Sorry, Bart. Here, I can fix it." He reached out gingerly for the speedster's arm, pinching a few spots on the arm to un-paralyze it.</p><p>"How did you do that?"</p><p>"Do what?"</p><p>"Turn off my arm!"</p><p>"You mean the nerve-strike? It's not that hard, just certain spots you have to know. Also, you have to be really careful, because if you accidentally hit the wrong spot, you could kill someone. I can teach you if you want."</p><p>Again, the group looked mildly scared. "I thought Batman didn't kill…" Jaime trailed off.</p><p>He refilled his mug before turning back to Jaime. "First, Batman doesn't kill. Ever. I don't think he even knows that particular strike. Second, I said they <em>could</em> be deadly, not that I tried to kill Bart."</p><p>"But you could've?"</p><p>"Of course I could've. Anyone can kill if they have enough motivation. I just know a lot more ways than the average person."</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"There are at least six pressure points on the sides of your neck alone that I could push to kill you."</p><p>Bart's eyes widened. "Where did you even learn that, if Batman doesn't kill?"</p><p>Tim scoffed. "I didn't even train with Batman at first. He sent me to learn from this guy in Paris. He taught me the pressure point stuff, and then I learned how to fight from Lady Shiva."</p><p>"She's on the League's watchlist!"</p><p>He shrugged. "Eh. We were both after the same guy, though we didn't know it at first, and when we fought together, I guess she was impressed? So she decided she was going to train me. I picked the least deadly weapon she had, which is why I fight with the bo staff."</p><p>"What about Batman?"</p><p>"What about him? When I decided I was done with her, we had the 'kill him and join the Darkside, Tim' and then the whole 'no, screw you' part, which was a lot less fun then I thought it'd be. Then I came back to Gotham."</p><p>"Ese."</p><p>Tim had a few cases he'd swiped from under Bruce's nose to work on, do he needed to finish those before he found out. "I got some stuff to work on, so I'll be in my room."</p><p>"Wait! You didn't eat breakfast."</p><p>"I have coffee."</p><p>"That's not food!"</p><p>"I know, it's better."</p><p>"Breakfast is importa-" "Cases are more important! Have fun!"</p><p>"That boy is seriously annoying when he wants to be."</p><p>From the rooming area, there was a faint shout of, "I know!" leaving the others to look at each other.</p><p>¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶</p><p>Days later, Nightwing called Tim to the Mountain. Apparently there was a training session he had almost forgot about.</p><p>Tim walked to the kitchen, getting a bottle of water as he searched the room. <em>Where was everyone?</em></p><p>The base seemed too quiet. Even during training or missions, there were always at least two people hanging around.</p><p>A thought of horror struck him.</p><p>He slapped on the spare domino he kept in his back pocket and pulled his collapsible bo staff from the pocket in his hoodie.</p><p>He decided to check the training room before anything else, since that was where they should've been anyway.</p><p>Tim moved noiselessly through the hallways, checking each corner for intruders or any nasty surprises.</p><p>When he reached the training room, he noticed that the lights were off. He spotted movement in the darkness behind the bleachers and struck.</p><p>It probably wasn't smart to attack blindly, but whoever this was had taken, and possibly killed his friends.</p><p>Turns out there was more than one person back there.</p><p>With an eerie cackle and sharp grin, he leapt onto the first person, expanding the staff into their forehead, and then squeezed a point next to their shoulder, rendering them unconscious. They had seemed as if they were holding back, but Tim didn't care.</p><p>He heard a few shouts and someone obviously trying to negotiate, but he tuned them out, reassessing. <em>Crap</em>. That meant the group was larger than he thought.</p><p>Okay, head in the game. He turned around, spinning his staff in hand, all the while still using his mother's ruthless smile. Within two minutes, he had knocked out at least four of them.</p><p>He brought the staff down on the back of someone's head as the lights came back on.</p><p>He looked down at the person below him in horror.</p><p>Jaime.</p><p>He scrambled off of him, looking around to the shocked faces of Young Justice’s members.</p><p>Karen gave a weak, "surprise?"</p><p>Oh. That was why Nightwing wanted him at the Mountain.</p><p>It was his birthday.</p><p>And looking around now, he saw party decorations and a table of food. And a 'Happy Birthday Tim!' banner hanging from the hologram projector.</p><p>He gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, finally noticing the unconscious La'gaan from where he'd knocked him out a few minutes before under the bleachers. “I’m really, really sorry! I just- the Mountain was empty, and then the lights in here were off, and then I saw La'gaan behind the bleachers, which I am really sorry about by the way, and you too Jaime, and I thought it was an ambush!”</p><p>Bart appeared next to him, “Dude, why are you sorry? That was awesome! You took down all the seniors!”</p><p><em>Shoot</em>.</p><p>He looked back, seeing an unconscious Nightwing among the knocked out bodies of M’gann, Conner, and Kaldur.</p><p>Plus, there were a few of them that he’d temporarily paralyzed.</p><p>He ran over to them, ordering the rest of them to wake up the unconscious heroes while he undid the temporary nerve damage. It didn't take long.</p><p>Dick groaned as he was shaken awake. "This is exactly what I get for trying a surprise party." There were numerous grumbles of assent.</p><p>Tim watched the others get up as he rubbed his arm nervously. "I'm guessing I'm benched?"</p><p>"Nah. If B hadn't figured it out before the party last time, he'd have probably done the same thing. But with more unconscious people."</p><p>"I really am sorry everyone, I just, didn't expect it to be a party. Honestly, I didn't."</p><p>"It's your birthday, of course we'd throw you a party!"</p><p>Tim couldn't hide his surprise at that. He'd planned on doing the morning training exercise, then going back to Gotham and hanging out at an arcade, maybe buying a slice of cake or something.</p><p>"Thanks, everyone."</p><p>Bart sped back into the room, distributing ice packs to everyone who'd been hit.</p><p>"It's fine Timmy. Honestly, I'm pretty impressed. You took out most of the Team in minutes, whether they were surprised, holding back, or not, that's impressive."</p><p>He gave another nervous laugh. "Sorry.."</p><p>Bart put a party hat on him, and Gar sat him down at the table. As everyone nursed their various bruises and sang happy birthday, Tim didn't think he could get any happier.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope y'all liked it! I've already started on the second chapter, which I like way more than this one.</p><p>Plus, I have like twenty seven point two different wips I'm writing on rn, so we'll see if I ever get those done.</p><p>I was writing one of them, when I had the idea for this.</p><p>This was honestly supposed to be a five hundred words oneshot, but I've already got close to three thousand in the doc.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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